


wounded bird

by Chaoticreader



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: A lil fluff, Angst, F/M, How Do I Tag, Light Angst, My first fic, awae season 1, because gilbert's kinda an ass, gilbert doesnt realize he's gone for anne, sad anne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-22 11:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21301391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaoticreader/pseuds/Chaoticreader
Summary: "Gilbert Blythe, crouching beside a girl with her heart on her sleeve, suddenly felt exposed himself."OrGilbert calls Anne carrots, but she doesn't whack him with a slate.
Relationships: Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 96





	wounded bird

Gilbert stole another glance at the bizarre girl that sat beside Diana. For the twenty-third time. Not that he or anyone else was counting. All afternoon he had mused over what he had done wrong for offering her an apple. Surely that wasn't what lead her to stop talking to him, was it?

He gave one quick look towards Mr. Philips to make sure that he was turned around, and then a few at Anne. ‘_Anne with an E_’, he had heard. Well, this Anne, had yet to make eye contact with him. He had been staring a while, how she had not noticed, had him for a loss.

Gilbert was known to be the amiable type: friendly, helpful, even. And this girl obviously wasn’t aware he wanted to be friends. Helping her see him was the right thing to do. So, he took a crumpled scrap of paper and gently tossed it right beside her.

She must have sensed it. Perhaps, she hadn’t? He moved his head forward, trying to get a good look at her eyes, to see if she had observed it, not because he was curious what colour they could be. When she made no attention to that, he sacrificed a piece of chalk. This would make more noise.

He launched that straight towards her, and _oh_, she noticed that. Her head slightly shot up, yet she still didn’t look at him.

However, she did notice. Slipping to her side of the room he was unaware that everyone, except Anne, was watching him. Half crouching, he placed the apple he intended to give her on her desk.

“Whoops…” he whispered, waiting to get any reaction from her. He checked to ensure Mr. Philips wasn’t shooting daggers towards him, consequently allowing Anne a few seconds to respond to him. But she didn’t, she didn’t even spare a glance. What was her problem? Gilbert was starting to grow frustrated.

“Hey.”

Still, nothing. He furrowed his eyebrows, baffled. Without weighing any of the circumstances, he took a plait of her hair, and gave it a good tug. He had thought of many names for her flaming, surprisingly soft, copper locks. What came out of his mouth, instead of everything else in his head-

“Carrots!”

Finally,_ finally_, Anne Shirley turned to look at him. All anger she seemed to emit before collapsed. Like beryl tinted glass, her eyes shattered. She sat, quiet, almost paralyzed, scared. Scared of him. Perhaps scared of herself. Her breathing began to quicken and shutter as if she couldn’t control it. Anxiety dominated her short, silent breaths.

Gilbert Blythe, crouching beside a girl with her heart on her sleeve, suddenly felt exposed himself.

Mr. Phillips sighed tiredly. “Anne Shirley, do you mind explaining to the class why Gilbert here, has decided to settle himself beside your desk?”

His accusatory voice resounded from the front of the class. A few snickers passed among the students, and now it was certain that everyone was aware Gilbert Blythe wasn’t sitting in his seat.

Gilbert cleared his throat, wondering if sound would even come out. “Sorry, Sir. I- uh, accidentally threw my chalk here,” he said shakily. He picked up a fragment of chalk beside Anne’s foot, and lifted it up for Mr. Phillips to see.

Mr. Philips, unimpressed, raised his brows. “Very well, sit down now.” He turned back around and continued the lesson, not that anyone was listening.

“I’m sorry.” Gilbert whispered breathless and desperately to the broken girl.

Anne had turned away from him, ocean eyes fixated on her slate. Hysterically he wished she would show any emotions other than a wounded bird. He prayed she would do _anything else_, even if that meant whacking him stupid with the slate her eyes remained glued on.

Behind her, Josie Pye gave a quick impatient clear of her throat. Breaking out of his gaze, he gave Josie an annoyed nod, and slipped back into his seat. However, his gaze lingered on Anne, difficult as it proved. He felt her weakening , dropping the protective wall she had placed between them. Her eyes pooled with unshed tears, that she badly tried to contain. Sure, Diana Barry had placed a comforting hand on hers, but the rest of the class was either smirking or staring with annoyance.

She wanted to fit in. And Gilbert felt he had ruined it. He pointed out her hair cruelly, albeit unintentionally, the others laughter furthering the slight. Furthermore, he might have placed a ridge between her, Ruby Gillis, and Josie Pye. In one moment, Gilbert Blythe had stripped Anne Shirley of all which made her - her imagination, investment. No longer did she wear her smile from while she had read in her strong, passionate voice. No, now he had reduced her to tears.

On another side of town, unknown to him or Anne, Marilla Cuthbert was defending her against a seemingly progressive mother.

“That child has endured more than any of us can know or imagine!”

Gilbert had taken Anne’s “safe-haven” as Marilla had put it, and trampled what remained. So there she sat, humiliated, blamed, and baited, holding in her whimpers until she was dismissed.

_“That Anne is homely. She really made advances to Gilbert Blythe; someone she could never deserve. She gossiped of Prissy Andrews petting Mr. Phillips’ pet mouse. She was raised with a violent drunkard. She’s dirty, trashy, orphan filth. Oh, did you hear Gilbert call her carrots??”_

At school the next day, Anne does not return. Gilbert finds himself quite reserved for the next few weeks...something the rest of the girls find unfortunate.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first fic, so please be nice lol. But feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!


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